Hinduism

Origin:

• Developed over 4,000 years with no known founder

• supposed to be founded around 3200-2500 BC

Basic Beliefs:

• One Supreme Being

• Four Vedas

• reincarnation

• all life is sacred

• no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others

• Karma

• The 4 stages of life

1. Brahmacharga- acquiring knowledge at young ages

2. Grastha- the pursuit of family and marriage in the middle years

3. Vanaprastha- reaching for "spiritual" things in later years of life

4. Sanngasu- abandoning the world in the last years of life

Religious Practices:

• Karmamarga- Works

• Bhaktimarga- Devotion

• Jhanamarga- Knowledge

• The use of Gurus- A "Spiritually Awakened Master"

Sacred Texts:

• mostly anonymous authors

• 4 vedas- the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda

Sacred Places:

• City of Varanasi- sacred to Hindus like Jerusalem is to Christians

• Omkareshwar- island shaped like the Hindu symbol "OM"

• Mathura- birthplace of Krishna

• Kanchipuram- Shakti worship spot

• Madurai- the "Temple City"

Sacred Objects:

• Fig and Bodhi trees

• Ganga River

• Himalayan Mountains

• Lotus- gods and goddesses stand on the lotus

• Cows- all life is sacred

Gods/Goddesses:

• Ganesha- the elephant headed god of good fortune

• Annapurna- goddess of food and cooking

• Garuda- king of the birds

• Vishnu-preserver and protector of creation

• Buddha- 9th incarnation of Vishnu

• Krishna- 8th incarnation of Vishnu

• Hindu Trinity- Brahma(the creator), Vishnu, and Shiva(the destroyer)

• Kali- goddess of time

• Indra- king of the gods

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